Department for Transport

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to secure less profitable rural bus routes and prevent an increase in rural isolation.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government recognises the importance of public transport in reducing social isolation, particularly in rural areas. Where there is not enough demand for a bus route to be commercially viable, all local authorities in England have powers to subsidise bus services. The Department provides £43 million per year to local authorities to support this. As part of the 2018-19 local government finance settlement, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government responded to a number of councils’ concerns over rural services funding by increasing the Rural Services Delivery Grant to £81 million. The 2019-20 settlement increased the Grant to the same level. This recognises the extra costs of providing services in rural communities. It is up to local government officials to decide how this funding is distributed.

Railways: Electrification

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what economic impact assessment has been carried out on the electrification of the rail network in the north of England.

Andrew Jones: A business case was completed in 2017 for the whole of the North of England programme. This was a system wide assessment which included re-signalling, track upgrades, additional platforms and electrification and therefore it was not possible to isolate the economic assessment of electrification.

Railways: Standards

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of his Department to (a) develop, (b) evaluate and (c) award market-led proposals to enhance the railway; and how many of his Department's officials have been allocated to work relating to those proposals.

Andrew Jones: The Guidance for Rail Market-led Proposals published in March last year is clear that the Department’s role is not to develop these proposals, as they are market-led. The Department has the capacity to evaluate rail market-led proposals in line with the guidance. On 5 December 2018 the Department responded to all promoters who had submitted a market-led proposal in response to the March 2018 Call for Ideas, and my officials are continuing to engage with those promoters whose proposals were evaluated to have the potential to be financially credible without government support.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms to ensure legal compliance of car manufacturers with emissions targets.

Jesse Norman: Since 2015, the Department has more than quadrupled its resource investment in this area. It is continuing to build both its capacity and capability to test a wide selection of vehicles in order to ensure their continuing compliance with emissions standards.In 2016, the Department established the Market Surveillance Unit (MSU), within the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA). The MSU works closely with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) to check that new road vehicles placed on the UK market comply with the relevant legal obligations. The MSU publishes a yearly report of its findings, and its most recent report is at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691601/vehicle-market-surveillance-unit-programme-results-2017.pdfNew regulations were introduced in 2018 which make it an offence for a manufacturer to supply a vehicle to the UK market which contains a prohibited defeat device. The fines can be up to £50,000 per offence.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made in ensuring the UK meets its 2.4% GDP target for R&D funding.

Chris Skidmore: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow on 27th March 2019 to Question 230812.

Research: EU Grants and Loans

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken in ensuring continuity of funding for research projects with EU funding in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Skidmore: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North Hereforshire on 26 March 2019 to the Question 233471 on the funding of research projects with EU funding.

Research: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the £7 billion of additional spending for research and development will be in addition to replacing EU funding lost after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Skidmore: At Spending Review 2015, the Government protected science funding, committing to invest £26.3 billion between 2016-21, and has since committed to an additional £7 billion by 2021-22 – the largest increase ever. The terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, if ratified, would provide for continued UK participation in EU Programmes, including Horizon 2020, to December 2020 and for the lifetime of projects under the programme. If an agreement is reached, projects approved during this period will be able to continue with an uninterrupted flow of EU funding. If we leave the EU without a deal in place, the underwrite guarantee and extension are Government commitments to provide funding required for the UK to participate in Horizon 2020 until the end of 2020 and for the lifetime of projects. In this scenario, HM Treasury will provide additional funding on top of existing departmental budgets – further demonstrating the Government’s commitment to the UK’s world-class research base.

Department of Health and Social Care

Speech and Language Disorders: Children and Young People

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve the identification of speech, language and communication needs among children and young people who are in contact with specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: On 20 December 2018, the first wave of 25 trailblazer sites were announced which will trial the plans set out in the Green Paper, ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’, published in December 2017.All trailblazer areas will build on support already in place and will work with other professionals such as speech and language therapists, including in support of delivering schools’ responsibilities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The aim will be to improve identification of mental health needs, including through knowledge of the links between mental health and other needs children and young people have such as speech, language and communication needs, and to provide more comprehensive support for their full range of needs.In addition, the NHS Long Term Plan sets out where extra National Health Service funding will be focused and how services will be designed.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019–2024: The UK’s five-year national action plan, published on 24 January 2019, what plans he has to fund the (a) design and (b) testing of a new economic model for antibiotics.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The project to develop and test the feasibility of new models that pay companies for antimicrobials based primarily on a heath technology assessment of their value to the National Health Service as opposed to the volumes used, and to share the learning with international stakeholders, is expected to be established by July this year. The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January this year, makes the commitment to implement the human health aspects of ‘Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (2019-2024): the UK’s five-year national action plan’. The project will be led by a central project team resourced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England and the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme is considering research to support the process.

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS spending is allocated to drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In the financial year 2017-18 the estimated total cost to National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts for providing rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction is £572,000. The majority of drug and alcohol services fall under the remit of local authorities who are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to meet identified needs, including for drug and alcohol dependence, using the ringfenced public health grant.

Pupils: Contraception

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he publish the names of schools that allow emergency contraception to be distributed to children at that school without parental knowledge or consent.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that girls aged under 16 years old are properly supervised when taking emergency contraception; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on schools where emergency contraception is provided by healthcare professionals is not collected centrally. Advice to healthcare professionals on the provision of emergency contraception to girls under the age of 16 is contained in recommendation 5 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline on sexually transmitted infections and under-18 conceptions prevention and recommendation 9 of the NICE public health guideline on contraceptive services for under 25s. The guidelines can be viewed on the NICE website at the following links: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph3/chapter/1-Recommendations https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph51/chapter/1-Recommendations In addition, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has published clinical guidance for health professional on the use of emergency contraception, which is available on the FSRH website at the following link: https://www.fsrh.org/documents/ceu-clinical-guidance-emergency-contraception-march-2017 Young people under the age of 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, without their parents’ knowledge or consent if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. Healthcare professionals providing emergency contraception to under 16s without parental consent should follow the criteria outlined in the Fraser guidelines for competence to consent.

Preventive Medicine

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s Green Paper on prevention will be published in the current session of Parliament.

Jackie Doyle-Price: I refer the hon. Member the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care (Steve Brine MP) to the answer gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Alison Thewliss) on 16 January 2019 to Question 206879.

General Practitioners: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time for patients to see their GP in the Blackpool NHS Clinical Commissioning Group has been for non-emergency appointments (a) between June and September 2018, (b) between October and December 2018, (c) in January 2019 and (d) in February 2019.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



A table showing the time between booking an appointment with a general practice and having the appointment (in days) for Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for June – September 2018 (inclusive), October – December 2018 (inclusive) and January 2018 only is attached. There are seasonal variations in the general practitioner (GP) appointment data therefore a 12-month average (February 2018-January 2019) is also presented. NHS Digital’s ‘Appointments in General Practice’ data is published monthly with a two-month time lag. Data covering February 2019 will be published on the NHS Digital website on 4 April 2019 and will include a regional breakdown by sub-region, sustainability and transformation partnership and CCG.It is not possible to differentiate the time between booking an appointment and having the appointment by healthcare professional, therefore the data includes appointments with GPs and other practice staff. The appointments data does not differentiate between emergency and routine appointments in general practice and the ‘time from booking to appointment’ does not take into consideration that many patients will be appropriately booking ahead as part of the continuity of care they receive for long-term conditions.



PQ236307 attached information
(Word Document, 21.17 KB)

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government and NHS England have to ensure that CCGs use the funding allocated nationally to prescribe Flash Glucose Monitoring from 1 April 2019 using central NHS criteria.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to encourage CCGs which do not prescribe Flash Glucose Monitoring technology to do so as soon as possible when new guidance comes into effect from 1 April 2019.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which CCGs do not currently prescribe Flash Glucose Monitoring kits.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



In November 2018, NHS England announced action to end the current variation in accessing flash glucose monitors. From April 2019 there will be a more consistent national approach to making these devices available. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be reimbursed to cover the costs of flash glucose monitoring sensors for those type 1 diabetes patients who are most likely to benefit from their use. NHS England has published detailed criteria and supporting guidance at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/flash-glucose-monitoring-national-arrangements-funding.pdf CCGs will be reimbursed for the cost of flash glucose monitoring sensors for those who meet these criteria, which could amount to up to 20% of their type 1 diabetes populations. CCGs can also locally choose to fund flash glucose monitoring for other patients with diabetes. The guidance advises that as part of their annual review process, patients with diabetes should be assessed for suitability for flash glucose monitoring. This process can also form part of a review for a different purpose, if that occurs earlier. This will promote a systematic approach to increasing take up. NHS England has engaged with NHS Clinical Commissioners, the membership organisation for CCGs, regarding the planned arrangements so that they can advise their members as appropriate. An FAQ for patients and commissioners is also being prepared and will be published, to aid the implementation. NHS England is also in conversations with the Academic Health Science Network to identify the capacity and scope for them to aid in rolling out flash glucose monitoring. Due to the limitations of the data collected by the NHS Business Services Authority, it is not possible to conclusively state which CCGs do or do not currently prescribe flash glucose monitors.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: North East

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of support for people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis in (a) South Shields and (b) the North East.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



No assessment has been made. Services for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups to meet local need, including addressing any shortfalls in provision, taking into account best practice guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department is taking to improve access to cervical cancer screenings.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



NHS England is investing in initiatives to help ensure equality of access to screening. These include locally-targeted interventions such as text and general practitioners (GP) reminders. As part of the delivery of the GP Five Year Forward View, the NHS has invested more than £258 million this year to improve access to general practice, including improved access to all routine appointments (including screening) at weekends and/or evenings. The UK National Screening Committee recently reviewed the evidence for self-sampling as part of the programme modifications to the NHS Cervical Screening programme, to support non-attendance and access. The Committee will submit its recommendations shortly. In addition, Professor Sir Mike Richards, as part of his review which was commissioned by NHS England to review screening programmes in England, will further consider ways to increase uptake of and access to cervical screening.

Tomography: Oxford

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library any impact assessment conducted on the proposed privatisation of the PET-CT scan service in Oxford.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



In line with NHS England’s usual processes, an Equalities Impact Assessment will be undertaken where it is certain that there could be substantive changes to service provision. In relation to the outcome of the Lot 4 procurement, this would be triggered in the event there was no alternative proposal but to move the service from the Churchill Hospital site to another location in Oxford. NHS England has not yet conducted the Equalities Impact Assessment because all parties, including Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, are committed to ensuring that PET-CT services are retained on the Churchill site, as part of a wider network of provision and partnership arrangement between both the Trust and InHealth. NHS England is due to present a report to Oxfordshire’s joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 4 April 2019, setting out the proposals and next steps.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he plans to provide for myalgic encephalomyelitis services in the North East.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



Services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. It is the responsibility of the local National Health Service commissioners to ensure NHS services are commissioned to meet local need and to address any shortfalls in provision, taking into account best practice guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the future development of services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis in the North East.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



Services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis are commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. It is the responsibility of the local National Health Service commissioners to ensure NHS services are commissioned to meet local need and to address any shortfalls in provision, taking into account best practice guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Department for Education

Pupil Referral Units: Special Educational Needs

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children and young people in contact with Pupil Referral Units have speech, language and communication needs.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes information on the number of pupils with special educational needs in each Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) by primary need type. This can be found in the underlying data of the “Special education needs in England” statistical releases found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen.In January 2018, 365 pupils in PRUs who were identified with special educational needs, had speech, language and communication needs as their primary type of need. This is 2.2% of the 16,730 pupils with special educational needs in PRUs. These figures relate to pupils on special educational needs support and those with a statement or Education, Health and Care Plan who are registered to local authority maintained PRUs and Academy or Free School alternative provision as their main educational provider.

Schools: Counselling

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department provides financial support to schools for student counselling following incidents of a tragic nature.

Nick Gibb: Schools need to respond to tragic incidents, which vary widely in nature. The Department’s Mental Health and Behaviour guidance includes links to sources of information and support, including on bereavement and other traumatic events. This includes MindEd, which provides online advice and training on mental health for all professionals working with children and young people. Where children need more specialist support, it is important that other services work together with schools to provide the right support. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out how specialist mental health support will be increased including through to access crisis care 24 hours a day by 2023/24, and support for at least an additional 345,000 children and young people who will be able to access support via NHS funded mental health services, including mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges. While the Government does not routinely provide additional funding to schools to respond to specific incidents, it will look at whether adequate support is available in specific cases. In response to incidents in Manchester and at the Grenfell Tower the government provided funding to enable local authorities to provide additional support to schools, colleges and children affected. The planning of mental health support across education, health, local authorities and the voluntary sector is a critical element in the response to such major incidents, such as the terrorist events in Manchester and London.

Schools: Crimes of Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that teachers feel safe from violence at their schools.

Nick Gibb: All schools should be safe environments in which staff and pupils feel happy and able to fulfil their potential. Any form of violence in schools is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Where a violent incident constitutes a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police.The Government is committed to ensuring that all teachers are equipped with the skills to tackle both the serious behavioural issues that compromise the safety and wellbeing of pupils or school staff. To support schools in ensuring that they remain safe and disciplined environments we have produced a range of guidance materials.Guidance is provided to schools to help them develop behaviour policies to manage disruptive and poor behaviour within the classroom and, in doing so, reduce the likelihood of violent attacks on teachers or pupils. This guidance material includes guidance on controlling access to school premises. This helps schools understand that it is a criminal offence for a person who is on school premises without lawful authority to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance and the action they can take in response.Searching, screening, confiscation guidance for schools makes clear that staff can search pupils and their possessions, where they believe a pupil is carrying a dangerous item which could endanger pupils or staff.In addition to current guidance, the Department has worked with the Home Office, and other key stakeholders, including the police, Ofsted and the Health and Safety Executive, to produce new school security guidance. New draft guidance includes references to help schools deal with violent crime and encourages them to develop policies and culture to help reduce and address violent related incidents in schools. A public consultation on the guidance closed last month and the guidance will be published later in the year.

Pupils: Contraception

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has provided to schools since 2010 on the potential liability of schools governors in the event of (a) a fatality, (b) stroke and (c) other adverse reaction to a pupil aged under 16 years as a direct consequence of taking the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill where the drug has been supplied (i) on school premises with the sanction of the governors, (ii) on school premises without the sanction of the governors and (iii) off school premises but as a result of a referral by a school nurse on school premises without the sanction of the governors.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department does not provide guidance to school governors regarding their potential liability for the welfare of pupils, under 16 years of age, who use emergency contraception supplied either on school premises, or as a result of referral made on school premises. The Governance Handbook was updated on 22nd March 2019.Young people under the age of 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, including the use of emergency contraception, without their parents’ knowledge or consent if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. Healthcare professionals providing emergency contraception to under 16s without parental consent should follow the criteria outlined in the Fraser guidelines for competence to consent.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Legal Costs

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest hourly rate paid for legal advice was by (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's arms length bodies in 2018.

Edward Argar: The highest hourly rate paid for Legal Advice by Ministry of Justice and its Arm’s Length Bodies in 2018 was £360 (excluding VAT).Please note that Ministry of Justice, uses Government Legal Advice Services Framework (RM3786) with maximum rate cards agreed with all suppliers on the framework.

Pleural Plaques: Compensation

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people applied for compensation under the pleural plaques compensation scheme in each parliamentary constituency; and what proportion of those people settled (a) in part and (b) in full.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 14 February 2019



The pleural plaques compensation scheme ran between 2 August 2010 and 1 August 2011 and was administered by the Ministry of Justice. A total of 9511 applications were made to the scheme, of which 9018 were successful. Applications were not recorded by parliamentary constituency. The scheme operated as an extra-statutory scheme, making £5000 payments on an ex-gratia basis to applicants who fulfilled the scheme’s criteria, namely that they were individuals who had begun, but not resolved, a legal claim for compensation for pleural plaques at the time of the House of Lords ruling in October 2007 in the case of Rothwell v Chemical & Insulating Co Ltd [2007] UKHL 39. That ruling had held that the occurrence of pleural plaques is not a compensatable disease. Eligibility for the scheme was limited to that category of people as they would have had an understandable expectation of receiving compensation when they began their claim, an expectation which would not have been shared by those diagnosed later.

Legal Aid Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what evidence his Department received from external bodies on his Department’s review of the means testing requirement for legal aid at inquests involving the state in its review of legal aid for inquests report, published in February 2019.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consultations his Department (a) sought and (b) held with bodies on its review of the means testing element of legal aid at inquests in its review of legal aid for inquests report, published in February 2019.

Lucy Frazer: We think the time is now right to look at the means test and uprating in more detail. As part of the publication of the Legal Support Action Plan on 7 February, the Government has announced a review of the legal aid means testing thresholds and their interaction with the wider eligibility criteria. We are bringing together data and evidence from across government to ensure that the process is as thorough and consistent as possible. Following our consideration, we will bring forward any changes as soon as is practical. In order to inform our review of inquests, we undertook a broad evidence-gathering exercise, which included surveys of senior coroners, consultative group discussions with the legal profession, third sector organisations and bereaved families, and a six-week call for evidence exercise which was held over summer 2018. We examined all the evidence closely and our findings are reflected in the final report. We would like to explore further options for the funding of legal support at inquests where the state has state-funded representation. To do this we will work closely with other Government Departments.

Personal Records: Age

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the age at which a person can change their name by enrolling at the Royal Courts of Justice is different from that at which they can do so by deed poll.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 21 March 2019



Individuals aged 16 years or more can change their name by deed poll. The deed may be enrolled at the Central Office of the Supreme Court provided that the application for enrolment satisfies the requirements of the Enrolment of Deeds (Change of Name) Regulations 1994 (as amended).For individuals aged between 16 and 18, the regulations require that the application for enrolment may have to completed by a person with parental responsibility for the individual and supported by evidence of the agreement of other persons with parental responsibility to the change of name. This enables the court to be satisfied that the relevant persons with parental responsibility are content with the proposed change of name.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Community Rehabilitation Companies in delivering resettlement plans.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



The latest performance statistics can be found in the ‘Community Performance Quarterly Management Information Release: update to September 2018’ on Gov.uk at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-september-2018 These figures show that CRC performance against target for completion of resettlement plans was at 95.5% for this period. The Government has acted decisively in response to issues with CRC performance by bringing forward the end of CRC contracts and consulting on a range of proposals to better integrate probation provision. The contract changes we agreed with CRCs last year include £22m per year in additional funding for Through The Gate services, which will mean approximately 500 more staff working with offenders in prison after April 2019. We have launched a consultation on proposals to introduce more effective future delivery arrangements. We want to learn from what has worked well and what hasn’t and better integrate public, private and third sector providers in future arrangements. Our changes will put in place a more stable and resilient probation system, which works effectively to protect the public and tackle reoffending.

Community Orders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number was of previous community orders given to an offender sentenced to immediate custody for a new offence of six months in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The highest number of previous community orders given to an offender sentenced to immediate custody for a new offence of six months in each of the last three years can be viewed in the table. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.88 KB)

Young Offenders: Special Educational Needs

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to develop guidance for youth offending teams on how best to (a) support and (b) meet the needs of young people with speech, language and communication needs; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 29 March 2019



Young people with speech and language difficulties are particularly vulnerable, and we are seeking to ensure that those who work with children and young people with a high prevalence of speech, language and communication needs, are trained in recognising and responding appropriately to these needs. Over the last three years we have provided free, national training for Youth Justice professionals supporting them to identify children’s special educational and disability needs and deliver effective engagement and positive long-term outcomes. Furthermore, in 2015, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) published joint practitioner guidance about how to identify children with speech, language and communication needs, how to communicate more effectively with them and how to make written information more accessible. The guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speech-language-and-communication-needs-in-the-youth-justice-system/practice-advice-speech-language-and-communication-needs-slcn-in-the-youth-justice-system.

Courts: Telephone Services

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 55p per minute cost of the telephone helpline established to provide advice on how to use online court services on the effectiveness of that helpline.

Lucy Frazer: HMCTS helplines use 0300 phone numbers in line with HMG guidance for government departments. This is the same as other departments including HMRC and the Home Office, as well as a range of bodies outside Government including the BBC, the RSPCA, Oxfam and Ofcom.Calls to 0300 numbers are charged at the same as local rate calls by phone providers. The helplines are not premium lines and do not generate revenue.There is no evidence to suggest that call charges are deterring people from using our services, as we dealt with more than 46,000 calls last month alone.

Crime: Statistics

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to improve data on religion within the criminal justice system since the publication of the report Tackling Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: 2018 Update.

Rory Stewart: We are committed on an ongoing basis to improving collection and publication of data to identify and tackle any disparities in the Criminal Justice System. Since publication of The Lammy Review (into the treatment of, and outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the Criminal Justice System) we have published brand new ethnicity data or analysis in 16 releases.Currently HM Prison and Probation Service do collect data on religious beliefs via prisoner records and for offenders in the community. The Offender Equality Annual Report(1) provides religious belief breakdown data on prison population, gender, Incentives and Earned Privileges status, those on Mother & Baby units and adjudications charged and proven. Prison population by religious belief is also published in Offender Management Statistics quarterly (2).HM Courts and Tribunal Service does not currently hold data on religious identity.(1) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/760093/hmpps-offender-equalities-2017-18.pdf(2) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly

Legal Representation

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the £3 million committed to the Litigants in Person Support Strategy is additional funding for his Department.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of litigants in person who will access the new funding for the Litigants in Person Support Strategy in the next two years.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many litigants in person have accessed funding from the Litigants in Person Support Strategy in each year since it was established.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding has been provided by the Litigants in Person Support Strategy in each year since it was established.

Lucy Frazer: The Litigants in Person Support Strategy (LIPSS) works with a range of partners across the advice, voluntary and pro bono sectors to provide information and practical support for litigants in person. This includes providing online and self-help resources, as well as access to free or affordable legal advice and representation, where possible. It does not provide funding to litigants in person directly. The Ministry of Justice is continuing to work with the LIPSS to ensure the additional funding committed to in the Legal Support Action Plan supports as many litigants in person as possible. Since 2014-15, the Ministry of Justice has invested more than £6 million of funding to support litigants in person in the civil and family courts through the LIPSS. An initial investment of £414,535 was provided in 2014-15 for the launch of the LIPSS, and since then has maintained funding at £1.45 million per financial year. As outlined in the Legal Support Action Plan, this funding will be doubled to £3 million per annum for the next two years. The Ministry of Justice is working with HM Treasury to ensure the funding committed through the Legal Support Action plan is a priority for the Department.

Prisoners

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average population was in each prison in the 12 months to September 2018.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



The table below details the average population in each prison in England and Wales in the year to September 2018. These figures do not fully represent the population during the course of the year.Mean average prison population by establishment between September 2017 and September 2018 Total Population   All establishments83,354   Males (excluding HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) immigration removal centres (IRC))79,195   Altcourse1,148   Ashfield407   Aylesbury413   Bedford421   Belmarsh835   Berwyn1,028   Birmingham1,185  Blantyre House (non-operational)0  Brinsford503   Bristol486   Brixton745   Buckley Hall413   Bullingdon1,066   Bure649   Cardiff707   Channings Wood682   Chelmsford660   Coldingley447   Cookham Wood162   Dartmoor634   Deerbolt406   Doncaster1,104   Dovegate1,125   Durham911   Elmley1,214   Erlestoke510   Exeter441   Featherstone632   Feltham493   Ford536   Forest Bank1,419   Frankland819   Full Sutton531   Garth830   Gartree697   Grendon/Spring Hill542   Guys Marsh463   Hatfield367   Haverigg272   Hewell1,082   High Down1,114   Highpoint1,286   Hindley502   Hollesley Bay465   Holme House1,189   Hull987   Humber1,010   Huntercombe470   Isis611   Isle of Wight1,087   Kirkham590   Kirklevington Grange259   Lancaster Farms552   Leeds1,026   Leicester293   Lewes626   Leyhill511   Lincoln561   Lindholme954   Littlehey1,212   Liverpool827   Long Lartin498   Lowdham Grange907   Maidstone582   Manchester967   Moorland965   Mount993   North Sea Camp409   Northumberland1,330   Norwich728   Nottingham916   Oakwood2,069   Onley733   Parc1,665   Pentonville1,189   Peterborough827   Portland499   Prescoed255   Preston648   Ranby1,009   Risley1,072   Rochester676   Rye Hill661   Stafford746   Standford Hill460   Stocken823   Stoke Heath755   Sudbury563   Swaleside1,049   Swansea399   Swinfen Hall559   Thameside1,208   The Verne157   Thorn Cross371   Usk273   Wakefield721   Wandsworth1,416   Warren Hill243   Wayland902   Wealstun799   Werrington103   Wetherby248   Whatton832   Whitemoor440   Winchester619   Woodhill620   Wormwood Scrubs1,158   Wymott1,145   Females (excluding HMPPS IRCs)3,838   Askham Grange109   Bronzefield515   Downview326   Drake Hall327   East Sutton Park96   Eastwood Park370   Foston Hall312   Low Newton328   New Hall371   Peterborough360   Send275   Styal450   HMPPS Operated Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs)321   Morton Hall IRC321 (1) Establishment predominant function and designation are available from 'Prisons and their resettlement providers', published by HMPPS and available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prisons-and-their-resettlement-providers

Reoffenders

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Serious Further Offence reviews have been reopened in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases Serious Further Offence reviews have cited excessive workload as a contributory factor to that offence.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases Serious Further Offence reviews have cited inadequate management supervision as factor contributing to the further serious offence.

Rory Stewart: Under the Probation Serious Further Offence (SFO) Review Procedures, the National Probation Service (NPS) or Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) must undertake a review where an offender under statutory supervision in the community is charged with a qualifying offence – a “notification”. Not every notification results in a conviction for an SFO. The NPS or CRC has three months to complete a review and will complete each review unless charges are dropped beforehand.SFOs are rare. Fewer than 0.5% of offenders under statutory supervision are convicted of a serious further offence.No SFO reviews have been reopened since 2010.Data regarding the number of SFO reviews that cited excessive workload as a contributory factor to that offence are not collated as part of the SFO review process and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Data regarding the number of SFO reviews that cited inadequate management supervision as a contributory factor to that offence are not collated as part of the SFO review process and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: Probation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average caseload is per probation officer in each community rehabilitation company.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 28 March 2019



Figures on the average caseload of probation officers are not collected centrally. A probation worker’s tasks are not based solely on the number of cases they are managing, but the level of supervision each case requires. The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics showing the total caseload of the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) as well as the National Probation Service (NPS). Figures for total probation caseload are published quarterly in the Offender Management Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly The table below shows the latest published figures with all offenders supervised in the community on 30th September 2018 at all 21 CRCs. Durham and Cleveland CRC3,719Northumbria CRC3,679North Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire CRC5,233South Yorkshire CRC3,699West Yorkshire CRC7,831Cheshire and Greater Manchester CRC11,776Cumbria and Lancashire CRC5,502Merseyside CRC6,156Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire CRC8,677Staffordshire and West Midlands CRC12,437West Mercia and Warwickshire CRC2,976London CRC29,549Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire CRC7,234Essex CRC4,022Norfolk and Suffolk CRC2,999Kent, Surrey and Sussex CRC8,652Hampshire CRC3,930Thames Valley CRC4,312Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire CRC6,317Dorset, Devon and Cornwall CRC4,189Wales CRC8,899

Department for International Trade

Confectionery: USA

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US Administration on confectionery trade between US and UK after the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with US officials about all aspects of UK-US trade. In addition, the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group, which is dedicated to strengthening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, has now met five times since it was first convened in July 2017. These meetings include discussions on trade across a broad range of sectors relevant to US and UK economies, including the food and drink sector. They are designed to strengthen the current trading relationship and lay the groundwork for future negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement after EU exit.

Overseas Trade

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what his Department's trade policy will be if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: Our priority remains getting approval for the deal we have negotiated with our European partners. Alongside this, the Government will continue to do the responsible thing and prepare for all eventualities with partner countries, including a ‘no deal’ scenario.Regardless of how we leave, for the first time in more than four decades, the UK will have an independent trade policy once we exit from the EU. We will deploy all the tools at our disposal and tailor our trade policy to the strengths and requirements of the UK economy.The Government is preparing for an ambitious programme of trade negotiations and enhanced market access. We have consulted on our first four potential free trade agreements (FTAs), with Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.While we are looking to forge new agreements, the Government is also seeking continuity for our existing EU trade agreements as we leave the European Union. We have made good progress, signing agreements with Chile, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) states, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the Pacific states, and CARIFORUM. We are also due to sign an agreement with Iceland-Norway shortly.

Food: Imports

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking ensure that the maintenance of food of comparable quality from overseas without tariffs after the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: In the event that the UK leaves the EU under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, there will be an implementation period during which tariffs remain unchanged. Should the UK leave the EU without a deal, the UK will implement a temporary tariff as announced on 13 March 2019. This is a balanced tariff policy which aims to minimise costs to business and mitigate price impacts on consumers, while also supporting UK producers as far as possible. The applied tariff does not affect what food is eligible be imported into the UK. The Government is committed in all exit scenarios to upholding the UK’s high food safety, environmental, and animal welfare standards.

Trade Agreements: Caribbean

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement, what steps he is taken to increase trade links with those countries.

George Hollingbery: The UK signed the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on Friday 22 March 2019 with nine CARIFORUM states. The remaining 5 states will sign as their domestic processes allow. This will provide continuity in our trading arrangements after the UK leaves the EU. The UK is currently designing a package of funding to help businesses in the Caribbean to take full advantage of the market access granted by the EPA, recognising that even in the absence of tariffs, a number of barriers remain which may prevent firms from being able to export to the UK.

Oil: Refineries

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on UK oil refining from the unilateral application of zero import tariffs on 87 per cent of goods entering the UK in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will implement a temporary tariff. The policy has been designed with the aim of minimising disruption and strikes a balance between avoiding high adjustment costs and protecting businesses from unfair trade in some sectors, and liberalising tariffs to maintain current supply chains and to avoid increases in consumer prices. A range of evidence, including internal Government modelling on tariffs in a no deal scenario, supplemented with business stakeholder engagement, has identified sectors that would face significant adjustment costs from liberalisation, and where a reduction in tariffs could help mitigate consumer price increases. At the end of the temporary period, the Government will introduce a long-term tariff regime. This will be developed over the course of the coming months following a full public consultation process.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people working on developing New Style of Information Technology Deployed are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has the following personnel developing New Style of Information Technology Deployed:77 people are contingent labour133 people are supplier resource16 people are civil servants

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people working on New Style of Information Technology (Base) are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has the following personnel working on New Style of Information Technology (Base):17 people are contingent labour and 59 people are civil servants.Information on supplier resource could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people working on developing Contracting, Purchasing and Finance are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Stuart Andrew: At present there are nine civil servants and one supplier resource working on developing the latest release of Contracting, Purchasing & Finance. There is no contingent labour at this time.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people working on developing the Future IT Sourcing Programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence does not recognise the term 'Future IT Sourcing' Programme.

Defence: Yorkshire and the Humber

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the financial viability of the defence industry in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Stuart Andrew: I acknowledge the important contributions companies in Yorkshire and the Humber play in defence, and in 2017-18 the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) direct spend with industry in the region was £328 million, up from the previous year.The MOD is working closely with other Government Departments and BAE Systems to promote the world leading Hawk Advanced Jet Training aircraft. Last year Hawk was a key component of the package in support of the successful export of Typhoon to Qatar. We are seeking to build on that success and I recently visited Kuwait to support the export of Hawk to this important UK ally.On 14 March 2019 we announced to Parliament a series of measures on Defence Prosperity including steps to work with industry to further enhance the competitiveness and productivity of the UK defence sector.

AWACS: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of E-7 aircraft purchase by his Department to ensure the maintenance of the UK's early warning and control capability.

Stuart Andrew: We have procured adequate E-7 airframes against departmental requirements in line with the Modernising Defence Programme.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the proportion of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) universal credit claimants who have (i) accepted and (ii) not accepted that her Department has taken into account their personal circumstances when deciding upon the claimant commitments which apply to their claim.

Alok Sharma: As part of the process of making a claim, all JSA (including New Style), New Style ESA and Universal Credit claimants discuss and agree a claimant commitment statement as part of the conditions of their claim. The Department does not hold information on the reasons why a claimant commitment is or is not accepted by the claimant. Where a claimant commitment is not accepted, for any reason, a claim cannot be made, unless reasonable adjustments apply. The reasonable requirements in a Claimant Commitment are based on the appropriate conditionality group for the claimant, and the Work Coach is able to tailor the requirements to include adjustments or easements for personal circumstances. If a claimant and their Work Coach are unable to agree on the reasonable requirements in their claimant commitment, they can request another Work Coach to review this.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are taken to monitor and review the performance of health assessors whose decisions are often reviewed or appealed successfully.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is committed to ensuring individuals receive high quality, objective and accurate assessments. It is to be noted that Health Professionals are not responsible for the benefit decision, this activity remains within the Department’s authority. The role of the Health Professional is to conduct a functional assessment that focuses on the effects of a health condition or impairment on a claimant’s daily life. We continue to work extensively with providers to make improvements to guidance, training and supplier audit procedures, in order to ensure the quality of the services is continuously improved. All elements of the providers’ performance are monitored including the requirements for the quality of assessments, which are assessed through independent audit, with feedback provided to the provider.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment assessment decisions were appealed in 2017-18.

Justin Tomlinson: Of the 715,800 initial Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions made in 2017-18 in Great Britain where an assessment was completed, 10 per cent have been appealed.

Working Links

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the process of awarding of the Health and Work Programme contract to Working Links (Employment) Ltd.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department has taken the question to be in relation to the Work and Health Programme provision, let in 2017, as there is no health and work programme contract. Working Links do not deliver Work and Health Programme directly for the Department, this is delivered by 5 providers.

Department for Work and Pensions: Contracts

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase the capacity of the Voluntary and Charitable Sector to (a) bid for and (b) operate as sub-contractors for her Department's contracts.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department’s commercial Employment Category team has a good track record in engaging a diverse supply chain, as demonstrated by the recent Work and Health Programme which secured the commitment of 21% SME spending and 51% SME and Voluntary sector spending during the procurement process. I am also pleased to say that the Department’s commercial Employment Category team is working on a Future Market Strategy, which includes both a tier 2 supply chain strategy and a prime provider strategy. Commercial colleagues have started engaging the market, seeking comments and views on the future strategy.

Working Links

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what due diligence her Department undertook in advance of Fedcap Employment taking over contracts held by Working Links (Employment) Ltd.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department’s commercial Employment Category team has a standard due diligence process that applies where there is a potential change of control associated with contracts. This was undertaken on Fedcap Employment Ltd and other companies above it in its group structure.

Working Links

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department's contract with Fedcap Employment included provisions to pay money owed to Working Link (Employment) Ltd sub-contractors for services provided on behalf of her Department.

Justin Tomlinson: Fedcap Employment Ltd took over a range of contracts from Working Links Ltd (in administration) Monies arising from that point and payable under contracts are payable to Fedcap Employment Ltd. Monies due prior to that point are contractually due to Working Links Ltd (in administration) and a matter for the administrator.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the mean average wait for a mandatory reconsideration after a personal independence payment assessment was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire, and (c) nationally in each of the last 12 months.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the mean wait for a mandatory reconsideration after a personal independence payment assessment was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on median clearance times for PIP Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) is provided in the tables below.Median Clearance Times, in Calendar Days, for PIP MRs, Normal Rules by Month of MR Clearance:Month of MR ClearanceMedian Calendar Days for MR to be ClearedBarnsleySouth YorkshireGreat BritainFeb-18312729Mar-18303131Apr-18353537May-18353434Jun-18303233Jul-18323232Aug-18323332Sep-18333734Oct-18433736Nov-18343840Dec-18323945Jan-19444454Source: PIP Computer System Median Clearance Times, in Calendar Days, for PIP MRs, Normal Rules by Financial Year of MR Clearance: Financial Year of MR ClearanceMedian Calendar Days for MR to be ClearedBarnsleySouth YorkshireGreat Britain2013/143134272014/156461332015/162223242016/173334332017/182929292018/19 (April18 - January19)353637Source: PIP Computer System This data on PIP MR clearance times is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision. There has been an increase in outstanding PIP MR clearance times in recent months (it rose to 54 days in January 2019). Measures to reduce the number of outstanding MRs include: Age profiles of outstanding work are managed at a national level to ensure that cases which have been outstanding for longest are actioned first.Resource levels dedicated to the clearance of MRs have been regularly reviewed with significant recruitment, training and redeployment undertaken to support reduced clearance times. MR is a key element of the decision making process for both the Department and claimants, and whilst ensuring they make quality decisions, decision makers work hard to clear applications without delay. Gathering the right evidence is critical at the MR stage if decisions are not to go to appeal; and we are reviewing our processes to not only obtain this, but to do so whilst continuing to make decisions timeously.

Universal Credit: Appeals

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the mean average wait for a mandatory reconsideration of a universal credit assessment was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally in each of the last 12 months.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the mean average wait for a mandatory reconsideration of a universal credit assessment was in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on average clearance times for Universal Credit Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory cyber security training sessions civil servants working in her Department are required to undertake.

Justin Tomlinson: Each year all DWP staff are required to complete mandatory security eLearning which includes cyber security.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pigs

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to update the feral pig code in England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There is no feral pig code in England.

Agriculture

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage new entrants to the (a) farming and (b) crofting sectors.

Mr Robert Goodwill: It is a key priority of this Government to enable an innovative, productive and competitive agricultural and horticultural sector.Attracting young talent into agricultural and horticultural careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.The Government is working with industry bodies, such as the Food and Drink Sector Council, to raise awareness of agriculture as an exciting and attractive career path and to improve access to the talent and skills required by the industry.The Government is reforming post-16 technical education to provide clear routes to skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of new T levels programmes, which alongside apprenticeships, will sit within 15 routes, including an Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care route.We are also exploring how to help Local Authorities with council farm estates and other organisations and landowners who want to invest in providing more opportunities for new farmers to start a foundation business and gain the experience they need to progress onto a larger unit.As agriculture is a devolved matter the question on crofting will need to be asked of the Scottish Government.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Trade Agreements

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department will take to ensure that standards on food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection are not lowered in future trade deals.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The current regulatory framework for food and feed safety is well established and designed to protect the public’s health. Any future trade agreements must work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK. We will maintain our standards on food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection as part of any future trade deals. The Withdrawal Act will transfer onto the UK statute book all EU food safety and animal welfare standards. Our current high standards, including import requirements, will apply when we leave the EU. We will remain global leaders in environmental protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining our high quality produce for British consumers.

Fisheries

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for fisheries policy after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government’s vision for future fisheries policy, as we leave the EU, is set out in the Fisheries White Paper: Sustainable Fisheries for Future Generations, published in July 2018.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Nottinghamshire

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bovine tuberculosis (a) new herd incidents and (b) officially free status withdrawn cases there were in the Nottingham-shire badger cull areas in each calendar year from 2010 to 2018.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The requested data is not available as no licensed culling has taken place in Nottinghamshire in this period.

Home Office

Syria: Children

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) British children and (b) children who are eligible for British citizenship currently with rebel groups in Syria.

Mr Ben Wallace: Around 900 people have travelled from the UK to engage with the conflict in Syria and Iraq, against the advice of the Foreign Office. Of these, approximately 20 per cent have been killed in the conflict and around 40 per cent have returned to the UK. They have all been investigated and the majority have been assessed to pose no, or a low security risk. For reasons of national security, it would not be appropriate to breakdown these figures further.

Radicalism: Internet

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many websites or internet-based platforms (a) accessible from the UK and (b) published within the UK have been shut down as a result of intelligence services investigations into islamophobic extremist activities, including radicalisation operations in each of the last five years.

Mr Ben Wallace: The subject to which the Honourable Lady refers is an operational matter for the intelligence services.As such I am afraid I can neither confirm nor deny what figures the Home Office holds on this issue. However, I can confirm that intelligence agencies and their police colleagues are taking vigorous action against extremism with the full range of legal powers available to them.

Burglary: Criminal Investigation

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of burglary investigations in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally were closed without identifying a suspect in each year since 2010.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of theft investigations in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally were closed without identifying a suspect in each year since 2010.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of trespass investigations in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) nationally were closed without identifying a suspect in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The proportion of police recorded burglary and theft offences where the in-vestigation was completed with no suspect identified from 2014 to 2018 can be found in the Police Recorded Crime Outcomes open data tables available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesHowever, information prior to 2014 is not available centrally as forces were not previously required to provide this data to the Home Office. Data is available and published by Police Force Area and data for the Barnsley area specifically are not held. Furthermore, the Home Office does not hold centrally information on the number of trespassing offences or their outcomes.

Drugs Independent Review

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the independent review of drugs led by Professor Dame Carol Black will make an assessment of drug use and access to treatment for marginalised groups, including people sleeping rough.

Victoria Atkins: The independent review of drugs will be undertaken in two parts. In its first part it will look at who drug users are, what they are taking, and how often in order to build the most in-depth and comprehensive picture of this issue to date. This will include consideration of vulnerable or marginalised groups.The review will be able to draw on this evidence base to examine the harms that drugs cause and the best ways to prevent drug-taking, taking into account the system of support and enforcement around drug misuse. Further information on the scope of the review and the terms of reference can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-drugs-terms-of-reference

Imitation Firearms: Crime

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of number of offences involving an imitation firearm in the latest period for which figures are available.

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many imitation firearms have been seized by police forces in the latest period for which figures are available.

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of imitation firearms.

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the use of imitation firearms in criminal offences.

Mr Nick Hurd: In the year ending September 2018, the police forces of England and Wales recorded 1,342 offences involving an imitation firearm, a 20% fall compared with the previous year (1,668 offences). Statistics about imitation firearms which have been seized by police forces are not recorded by the Home Office.Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to imitation firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms, and other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearms certificate.It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.Firearms legislation and controls, including in relation to imitation firearms, are kept under review to ensure we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies in place to prevent the misuse of firearms.

Cabinet Office

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs to the public purse of holding elections for the European Parliament this year, in the event that the UK remains in the EU after 22 May 2019.

Chloe Smith: The Government has made it clear that the UK intends to leave the EU with a deal and not take part in the European Parliamentary Elections (EPE) in May. The Cabinet Office has published a detailed report on the cost of the last European Parliamentary election which cost £108.7M. The publication and the accompanying data can be found at the following link (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costs-of-the-2014-european-parliamentary-elections).

Government Departments: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working on GOV UK Verify are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Oliver Dowden: As of March 2019, there are a) 9.5 contingent labour and c) 76.1 civil servants (in Full Time Equivalent Values). There is currently no supplier resource.

Government Departments: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working on the ISSC2 are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Oliver Dowden: Within the Cabinet Office Government Shared Services team, approximately 22 civil servants and 2.6 contractors support the delivery of technological, commercial and service aspects of ISSC2. We do not collect data on supplier side resource.

Government Departments: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working on the Government as a platform programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Oliver Dowden: As of March 2019, there are a) 3.0 contingent labour, b) 1.0 supplier resource and c) 84.7 civil servants (in Full Time Equivalent Values)

Government Departments: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people are on the Common Technology Services Programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Oliver Dowden: As of March 2019, there are a) 4.0 contingent labour, b) 5.6 supplier resource and c) 6.6 civil servants (in Full Time Equivalent Values).

Domestic Abuse

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of domestic abuse against (a) men and boys and (b) women and girls.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 140.69 KB)

Homicide: Domestic Abuse

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many men were killed by their current or former partner in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 140.69 KB)

Treasury

Treasury: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by his Department's Special Advisers have been investigated by the Minister responsible for the appointment in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The department holds no central record of such allegations. The conduct of all civil servants, including special advisers, is taken very seriously. Special advisers act in accordance with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct, which includes clear guidance on appropriate conduct in public life. The Code can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/specialadvisers-code-of-conduct